Seaside asparagus This vibrantly green succulent has experienced quite the revival in British cuisine in recent years. Samphire grows in the wild in salty soil all over the world. It resembles a mini cactus or coral and has a similar taste to asparagus, just a little more salty. The veggie is available from early to … Continue reading Samphire – Salicornes
Barba di Frate
Monks beard This green veggie goes by lots of different names - salsola soda, monks beard, opposite-leafed saltwort and barilla plant are just some of the names. Barba di Frate is its Italian name - the vegetable is most popular in the sunny country. Similar to samphire it grows in coastal regions which becomes obvious … Continue reading Barba di Frate
Chinese artichoke – Knollenziest
The caterpillar veggie As its name suggests this knobbly root vegetable is a Chinese native. While its look might not be that appealing the taste of the Chinese artichoke is quite mild, similar to potato and Jerusalem artichoke with a texture close to water chestnut. It was introduced to Europe by a French traveller who … Continue reading Chinese artichoke – Knollenziest
Salak
The snake fruit Possibly one of the strangest looking fruit but much less strange in taste - the salak. This Indonesian native, often referred to as snake fruit, grows on palm trees and has the size and shape of a fig. The big difference is the texture of the salaks skin which looks like that … Continue reading Salak
Passion fruit – Maracuja
The passionate Brazilian The name already suggests that this fruit offers an explosion of flavours. The passion fruit originated in Brazil and grows exclusively in hot climates. The fruit has a tangy flavour with a little sweetness to it. Harvest usually happens in autumn but the fruit is available all year round. Passion fruit, also … Continue reading Passion fruit – Maracuja
Dill
The feathery herb The fact that it gets its name from the Norse word dilla, which means to lull, already shows you its strong connection to Skandinavian cuisine and implicates at the same time its soothing effect on both stomach and muscles. Ancient Romans and Greeks already cultivated dill and nowadays it’s also popular in … Continue reading Dill
Cardamom – Kardamom
The fragrant pod This spice is synonymous with Indian cuisine which is also where it originated from. Cardamom delivers a strong punch of flavour to any dish its added to. It’s a member of the ginger family and while it shares some its refreshing qualities it also excites the taste buds with earthy, sweet and … Continue reading Cardamom – Kardamom
Red cabbage – Rotkohl
The read head Red cabbage might just look like a prettier version of the paler white one but the flavour and possibilities it delivers make it worth mentioning as a stand-alone ingredient. In European cuisine, especially Northern and Eastern European countries, red cabbage has played an important role as a cheap and healthy addition to … Continue reading Red cabbage – Rotkohl
Sweetie
This big green citrus fruit is a cross between grapefruit and pomelo which was created in the 80s in Israel. To this day Israel is the main producer of the sweetie. The size of the fruit resembles that of a grapefruit while the colour and sweetness are closer to the pomelo. Like all citrus fruit … Continue reading Sweetie
Cranberry
The tart berry This plump red berry is synonymous with American Thanks Giving and Christmas celebrations. The cranberry is a very tart fruit which comes in season just in time for the festivities. They are grown in the USA but are also popular in Northern European countries. The berries contain plenty of vitamin C which … Continue reading Cranberry
The Food Library 